Aresearch.152
net.columbia
utzoo!decvax!duke!mhtsa!harpo!research!sjb
Fri Nov 13 18:45:22 1981
Canadarm
Here are some facts and figures on Canadarm:
What is it: Officially called the ``Remote Manipulator
System (RMS),'' it is a mechanical arm that has more
mobility and flexibility than a human arm. It weighs
900 pounds and cannot even lift its own weight on Earth,
but can easily control a boxcar in space.
How it works: A system of snare wires closes on a small
projection on satellite (all satellites to be handled by
the arm must have the projection) to grab it and slackens
to let go. If the arm cannot be retracted (necessary to
close the cargo bay doors), the astronauts can ``amputate''
it by exploding small charges and leave it behind.
Who built it: Canada's space industry took on the $100 million
project that took 7 years. It gave the first one to NASA in
return for NASA's promise to buy three more for future shuttles
at a cost of $74 million.
Control: Astronauts control it with a ``stick'' similar to
the one used to maneuver the shuttle itself. A trigger controls
the wires that grab onto things, and the whole process is
monitored by TV cameras (if they work!)
Lifetime: 10 years or 100 missions
Purpose this trip: A shakedown to see how well it works in space.
Applications: It will be used to retrieve and deploy satellites,
rescue humans from other ships, and even to fix satellites in
orbit.
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Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.
